Michigan
‘22 beautiful years’: Family mourns University of Michigan student who died skiing in Aspen
ANN ARBOR, MI – Eileen Sheahan brought a joyful energy into any room she entered, her family and sorority sisters said.
The 22-year-old University of Michigan senior had a smile that lit up an entire room, said her aunt Kathy O’Brien Caplice. Her Alpha Phi sorority sister Megan Martz called that same smile infectious, while another sister Grace Aretakis called it unforgettable.
Even after Sheahan died Saturday, Jan. 27, while skiing in Aspen, Colorado, her joyful energy still lingers, said her parents Terrence “TJ” and Patti Sheahan.
“We feel blessed to have had 22 beautiful years with our cherished daughter and comforted at this time to feel her presence and love all around us,” her parents told MLive/The Ann Arbor News.
Read more: University of Michigan student dies while skiing in Aspen
Sheahan, an Evanston, Illinois native, died when she hit a tree while skiing at the Aspen Highlands resort, Pitkin County Medical Examiner Dr. Steven Ayers confirmed.
Sheahan is survived by her parents, three siblings Erin, Margaret and Michael, and her extended O’Brien and Sheahan families.
Eileen Sheahan (middle left) with her siblings Michael (far left), Erin and Margaret. Photo provided by Sheahan’s aunt Renee Formell.Renee Formell
Her grandfather Michael Sheahan was Cook County sheriff in Illinois, and her mother is a Cook County circuit judge. Her parents said their daughter sought to follow the family tradition of public service.
“We are immensely proud that Eileen spent a lifetime of giving to others and continues that legacy with the gift of life by being an organ donor,” her parents said.
Sheahan was set to graduate from the University of Michigan in May with a degree in economics. Her grandfather remembered driving her to a train to head back to Ann Arbor for the Michigan-Ohio State football game, and the wide-ranging conversation they had.
“She was at a great point in her life,” he said. “It is so sad it was cut short, but her smile and laughter will be remembered by her family and friends forever.”
Prior to coming to UM, she attended the St. Joan of Arc grade school in Evanston and Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois. Even though Sheahan was a strong student, she did not brag about it, Caplice said.
“Eileen was a beautiful and accomplished young lady who was looking forward to graduation, had nearly straight A’s and a job waiting for her when she was finished with school,” her aunt said. “However she was also humble and self-deprecating, which only made her more endearing.”
While at the University of Michigan, Sheahan was a student ambassador and an involved member of her sorority. One of her sisters Tessa Weinberger said Sheahan “touched everyone with her presence. Martz and Aretakis also remembered a trip they took Portugal with her.
“We were on a boat cruise with our friends and just Eileen and I went to sit inside to warm up,” Aretakis said. “We sat inside and chatted about our lives, the future, and how truly blessed we were to be abroad together.”
“I am so grateful we were able to travel the world and share the time that we had,” Martz said. “Every minute with Eileen was a minute well-spent.”
University of Michigan Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones said the campus mourns Sheahan’s death.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, classmates and all who knew her,” Jones said.
Those seeking support from the news may contact the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services, as well as the Dean of Students Office and the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office, Jones said.
Sheahan loved spending quality time with her whole extended family, her parents said, adding she will be remembered for being an amazing big sister, best friend and role model.
“Eileen will be eternally loved and missed by all who were lucky enough to know her,” her parents said.
There will be a visitation for Sheahan at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at Donnellan Family Funeral Home in Skokie, Illinois. The funeral is 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 5, at Old Saint Patrick’s Church in Chicago.
In lieu of flowers, family is requesting donations by made to The Eileen Sheahan Memorial Scholarship at The Academy at St. Joan of Arc grade school in Evanston or to Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois.
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Michigan
Michigan State roster reset: All eyes on Jeremy Fears Jr.’s return
Tom Izzo reacts to MSU’s season-ending loss to UConn in March Madness
Here’s what Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said reflecting after the 67-63 loss to UConn in the Sweet 16 in Washington, March 27, 2026.
Tom Izzo is in wait-and-see mode for Michigan State basketball’s next roster. But on paper, it looks as though the Spartans will have one of his most well-rounded groups ever.
Izzo and others, including Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network, expect Jeremy Fears Jr. to return to MSU for his fourth season, even though the All-America point guard turned heads of scouts with his scrimmage performance at the NBA Scouting Combine on Wednesday, May 14. He posted 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals with one turnover after measuring in at at 6-foot, 196.2 pounds with a 6-4 wingspan.
Fears told Katz in Chicago that his decision would depend on the feedback he gets during the evaluation process this week.
“I believe I’m a first-round talent,” Fears said. “A lot of players that’s in the first round [of mock drafts], I’ve played against or probably seen throughout the college [season]. But that’s a big thing, if I think I can get a first-round spot, I would love it.
“My dream is to play professional and play in the NBA. That’s for sure a big dream. And if not, then I’ll go back to college and try to work my way up and get that.”
The deadline for Fears (as well as incoming transfer center Anton Bonke) to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain their college eligibility is May 27. Assuming Fears does return, he will give the Spartans a top-10 lineup and potentially better than that for the 2026-27 season – and a chance to chase the elusive second national title that Izzo has long craved.
“I think we got a good group with everybody coming back and bringing in a transfer,” Fears told Katz. “Just overall, a great group of guys and being able to kind of build what was started last year.”
Here’s a look at where MSU’s roster stands now”
Point guard
Starter: Jeremy Fears Jr., redshirt junior
Backup: Carlos Medlock Jr., freshman
Shooting guard
Starter: Jordan Scott, sophomore
Backups: Kur Teng, junior; Jasiah Jervis, freshman
Wing
Starter: Coen Carr, senior
Reserves: Kaleb Glenn, redshirt sophomore; Scott
Forward
Starter: Glenn
Reserves: Cam Ward, sophomore; Carr; Jesse McCulloch, redshirt sophomore; Julius Avent, freshman
Center
Starter: Anton Bonke, senior
Reserves: McCulloch; Ward; Ethan Taylor, freshman
Analysis
Versatility will be a premium for Izzo, particularly in the frontcourt.
He’ll be able to mix and match based on opponents, with the ability to move Carr around on the wing and power forward as MSU has done at times the past two seasons. The same goes for 6-foot-7 Glenn, who missed last season after suffering a June knee injury after spending his first two seasons at Florida Atlantic and Louisville.
Finding that right blend between the 2, 3 and 4 positions will be Izzo’s mission during summer workouts. Scott, who emerged as a starter midway through his freshman season, needs to find more consistency in his outside shooting and ball-handling to stay at shooting guard. But as he fills out his 6-8 frame, that could allow him to play more on the wing with Carr at power forward for an athletic lineup – particularly if Teng can build on his late-season 3-point shooting performance and improved defense.
Jervis will be the wild card and push all of them at shooting guard. The 6-4 incoming freshman and McDonald’s All-American took part in the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp earlier this month and was the New York Gatorade Player of the Year. And Avent, with his ability to defend multiple positions, also arrives with a chance to carve out a niche early in his career.
The addition of the hulking 7-2, 270-pound Bonke from Charlotte (via Providence and junior college) gives Izzo the low-block size he’s rarely had, and combining him with the outside shooting potential of 6-11 McCulloch at power forward would give the Spartans a chance to put one of Izzo’s biggest lineups ever on the floor. And after a wrist injury slowed his fast start as a freshman, 6-9 Ward has star potential for a breakout second season as a flexible option at both post positions – a transition demon in an undersized lineup at center or a bull-in-a-china-shop rebounder at the 4. Taylor, the highest-rated incoming freshman recruit based on pure potential, can take his time for much-needed development of his raw skills thanks to the veteran depth in front of him.
But this group will go as far as Fears can carry it, assuming he comes back and doesn’t emerge from the combine like Jase Richardson a year ago. Izzo long has likened Fears to Mateen Cleaves, who also flirted with the NBA after his All-America junior season in 1999. The addition of Medlock will give Fears the traditional backup he lacked last season, particularly after the injury to Divine Ugochukwu. Ugochukwu’s departure to LSU via the portal will give Medlock the spare keys to the car.
But the primary driver will be Fears, if he does not turn pro. And his goal as a returning captain, along with Carr, will be to turn all those versatile pieces into a cohesive unit and get Izzo and MSU back to another Final Four in Detroit.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Michigan
Man curses Arab candidate after allegedly tossing brick at office
Arab American Michigan Senate candidate records confrontation
Abbas Alawieh, a Democrat running for a Michigan Senate seat, recorded a confrontation with a man at his Dearborn Heights campaign office
A man threw a brick at a Michigan campaign office Thursday and then proceeded to say he did it because the candidate is a “f****** Arab.”
Democrat Abbas Alawieh, who’s running for a Dearborn-based seat in the Michigan state Senate, detailed the incident in a press release. Alawieh confronted the individual who allegedly targeted his Dearborn Heights office and recorded the conversation he had with the man.
“What’s the issue?” Alawieh asked the man at one point.
“You’re a f****** Arab,” the man who wasn’t identified in the press release or video said. “F*** you.”
In a statement, Alawieh said he and his team were meeting Thursday morning when they heard a loud bang against the wall of their office building. When Alawieh went outside to see what had happened, he saw a man trying to force open a locked door to the office.
“I asked what his issue was, and he immediately began hurling hateful, anti-Arab and Islamophobic insults at me,” Alawieh said.
The man had thrown a brick at a painting that included Alawieh’s name on the side of the building, the statement said.
Alawieh said he wants to ensure “every person, no matter their background, faith or name, feels safe, respected and fully at home.”
“I know Dearborn Heights and all of Senate District 2 as a welcoming community, and I am running a campaign on the issues that unite us, and to reject all forms of hate that divide us,” Alawieh said.
Alawieh reported the incident to Dearborn Heights law enforcement.
Michael Guzowski, the city’s chief of police, said his department is investigating a reported destruction of property incident at an office building on Van Born Road.
“This is an active investigation, and we are reviewing all available evidence to determine what occurred,” Guzowski said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dearborn Heights Police Department at 313-277-6770.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
Michigan
Puppies, prom and pancakes: What to do in West Michigan this weekend
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Hello, is it an awesome event you’re looking for? Well, you can see some great options not in a pair of eyes or a smile, but in this weekend planner.
Here is a look at what you can do the weekend of May 15:
Acrisure Amphitheater Grand Opening
It’s been a long time coming, but finally, the Acrisure Amphitheater is set to welcome in its first guests with not one, but two shows this weekend.
It kicks off Friday with a grand opening performance by Lionel Richie. And then on Saturday, catch several local artists as part of the Community Celebration.
Click here to grab tickets while you still can.
Heritage Hill Tour of Homes
Saturday marks the start of the 58th annual Heritage Hill Tour of Homes, where guests can explore some of the historic homes in the historic neighborhood.
One of those homes includes the Voigt House, which was built in 1895 and has not been open to the public in 17 years.
For more information, click here.
Puppies on the Patio at Harmony Brewing
What’s better than a cold one after a stressful week? How about sharing a cold one with your best friend?
You and your dog can enjoy a frosty beverage this Saturday at Harmony Brewing Company with a Puppy Pool Party. There will be kiddie pools, activities for dogs and humans and plenty of aforementioned beer.
Click here to learn more.
WestFest
Spring is in the air and you can tell not by the pollen closing in on us, but by the fact that WestFest is happening for another year.
For more than three decades now, the carnival has served as a way for those living on the West Side of Grand Rapids to come together and celebrate the changing of the season. The funds raised by the event will also go towards servicing families of Sacred Heart Parish & Academy.
Details can be found here.
Creston Neighborhood Pancake Breakfast
On Saturday, the Creston Neighborhood in Grand Rapids is inviting the community to partake in its free pancake breakfast and resource fair.
The event will provide plenty of resources from local organizations, a chance for folks to meet their neighbors and also enjoy some delicious pancakes for free.
More information can be found here.
Butterfly Release in Paw Paw
A special memorial butterfly release will be held Saturday in the village of Paw Paw to help those deal with their grief and loss.
Attendees are asked to arrive before 10 a.m. That is when the memorial service will begin, followed by the butterfly release.
For details, click here.
The Kite Festival at Grand Haven
One of the most visually stunning events returns to Grand Haven State Park Saturday and Sunday with the Kite Festival.
It’s your chance to check out dozens upon dozens of kites soaring through the sky. The best part is that it’s completely free to attend.
You can get more information by clicking here.
Kalamazoo Toy Show
On Saturday, head on out to the Kalamazoo County Expo Center for this year’s Kalamazoo Toy Show.
Kids 12 and under get in free to check out some incredibly preserved antique toys like cap guns, action figures, Pez dispensers and more.
Details can be found by clicking here.
Prom with a Purpose
The signature event of the Momentum Center in Grand Haven is Prom with a Purpose and it’s back this weekend.
The event gives folks a chance at reliving the glory days with a night of dancing, eating and fun. The event helps raise funds for the Momentum Center’s initiatives.
Click here to learn more.
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